The Tribune

By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

A GRAND Bahama tourism operator is investing around $100,000 to launch two new guest experiences by September in an expansion expected to create 20 new jobs.

David Wallace, Pirate’S Cove Zipline and Water Park’s principal, said the move will position the attraction to capitalise on increased cruise passenger arrivals as Freeport prepares for greater vessel call volume.

The expansion will fund the introduction of ‘The Conch: A Taste of Grand Bahama’ and an underwater sea scooter tour, the first phase of a broader expansion strategy aimed at diversifying Grand Bahama’s tourism offerings ahead of increased calls from major cruise operators.

“We believe with the new calls that will come because of the development now of the Freeport Harbour, Royal Caribbean and MSC partnering in the harbour with them calling, bringing on more ships, we believe you’re going to need more activities for the tourists to do on the island,” Mr Wallace said.

The project includes an investment of between $50,000 and $60,000 for new equipment, in addition to a $40,000 purpose-built facility for the conch experience, bringing the total outlay to roughly $100,000. Mr Wallace said the investment builds on more than a decade of expansion at the attraction.

“That will take the total investment in the park to in excess of over $3m over the last 10 years,” he said. “We started out with a capital injection of about $1.3m, and we’ve developed a park now to well in excess of over $3m.”

‘The Conch: A taste of Grand Bahama’,is designed to immerse visitors in a Bahamian-centred culinary experience. Guests will first participate in an educational experience led by a narrator explaining the biology, habitat and cultural significance of conch before entering a constructed conch crawl to collect their own conch.

Visitors will then learn how to crack, clean and prepare the conch before sampling traditional Bahamian dishes including conch salad, cracked conch, conch fritters and other conch dishes. Mr Wallace said the concept is intended to offer visitors an authentic, hands-on cultural experience that goes beyond traditional beach excursions.

“The good thing is these people can be cracking their own conch,” he said. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity where someone can pull out their camera… I think it’s a lifetime experience that they will always remember,” he said.

The second attraction will feature industrial underwater sea scooters capable of pulling guests through shallow reefs at speeds of three to four miles per hour. Subject to weather conditions, the tour may extend to Rainbow Reef.

Mr Wallace said the company expects to launch both products by September and has already begun submitting tour descriptions to cruise lines so excursions can be marketed before passengers arrive in Grand Bahama.

The attraction plans to market the tours to passengers arriving on Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and MSC vessels, while also positioning itself for increased calls by Norwegian Cruise Line beginning in 2027.

Although Mr Wallace declined to provide first-year revenue projections, he outlined expected visitor capacity. The conch experience is being designed to accommodate about 24 guests per session, with two tours daily allowing for 48 to 50 participants per day. The sea scooter attraction is expected to serve 20 to 30 guests daily, depending on sea conditions.

To support the underwater experience, Pirate’s Cove has invested around $20,000 to $25,000 in 12 to 14 sea scooters, although some units will be reserved for tour guides.

Mr Wallace said weather-related disruptions would be managed by offering guests alternative activities, including zipline, UTV or conch tours.

The expansion is also expected to generate wider economic benefits across Grand Bahama. Pirate’s Cove plans to increase its workforce from 80 employees to about 100, with new positions ranging from tour narrators and culinary staff to customer service personnel. The attraction will also source fresh conch directly from local fishermen, creating new business opportunities within the island’s fishing industry.

“We’re going to be buying the conchs from the fishermen, we’re going to be putting the conch in the crawl every day,” Mr Wallace said. “So somebody will benefit from delivering to us the conch.” 

He added that taxi operators and local transportation providers will also benefit as the range of attractions gives visitors more reasons to travel outside the cruise port.

Looking beyond the September launch, Mr Wallace said Pirate’s Cove is already planning additional attractions, including a zipline extending into the water and a 15-person paddle bike tour linking the beach to Smith’s Point and the Port Lucaya Marketplace with a liquor tasting stop.

The park currently offers zipline, ATV and UTV tours, jet ski rides, banana boat excursions, clear kayak rentals and snorkel experiences. “We are selling memories,” Mr Wallace said. “We want to continue to develop memories for these guests when they come to Pirates Cove or to The Bahamas.”